Millennial Men in the Kitchen: Pausing to Create Memories Over Food

Growing up, dinnertime was orchestrated by my Super Mom, and signified a pause to everyone’s diverging priorities as the family gathered to enjoy a meal and each other’s conversation. These days, the demands of our globally connected world and what seems like a constantly growing to-do list, make pausing to enjoy a meal with your family, friends, or significant other that much more delicious.

Traditionally, women have been the predominant face behind the home kitchen; however, recent data suggests that increasingly, male home cooks are contributing to mealtime memories, particularly Millennials (age 18-34). Unique visits among Millennial males on Allrecipes.com have increased 46 percent year over year, with much of that activity happening on mobile devices, where we saw an impressive 70 percent year over year growth (April 2015 to March 2016), a testament to Millennials’ tech savviness.

Another key generational trait of Millennials is prioritizing a well-rounded work/life balance, pausing to make memories. Food has always been central to memory making, and with myriad social platforms on which to share our culinary creations, memories are immortalized on the Internet to inspire others. As the presence of Millennial male home cooks continue to grow, there’ll be no shortage of inspiration. Last year’s top ten male-viewed recipes had a combined more than 7,000 cook-submitted photos, reviews, and ratings.

In terms of page views over the last year (April 2015 to March 2016), the most popular recipes for men have featured hearty classics such as Boilermaker Tailgate Chili and Beef Stew. Surprisingly, six of the top ten male-viewed recipes also showed up on the list of top ten most-viewed female recipes (see comparison table below). One might assume we are using the power of our global interconnectedness to share content with those who matter most, which will help create new memories when we are able to pause at the table once more.